In His book entitled, The Myth of Adolescence, Dr. David Allan Black writes...What, then, do the Scriptures say about adolescence? The answer is: Absolutely nothing! In the Bible, people went directly from childhood to adulthood. Moses, for example, is never referred to as an adolescent. In Exodus 2 he is called a “child” in verse 10, and by verse 11 he had “grown up.” Here we might have expected to find a reference to a period between childhood and adulthood, but no such reference is to be found.
Dr. Black expounds further on this subject in a blog article entitled, Want To Reform Your Youth Ministry? Reject Adolescence!,One thing is clear. According to the Bible, the teen era is not a “time-out” between childhood and adulthood. It is not primarily a time of horseplay, of parties, of sports, of games. It is not a period of temporary insanity. The Bible treats teens as responsible young adults, and so should we. Paul told Timothy, a young man, to “be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faith, and purity” (1 Tim 4:12). Though still young, Timothy was to speak, act, love, believe, and relate to the opposite sex in such a way that others would look at his life and want to be just like him.
So if there is no basis for adolescence as a sub-culture of the church, then what is the basis for ministry to a sub-culture with no Biblical basis? While I am not rushing to church to obliterate my student ministry, I think that Dr. Black is asking some provocative questions that deserve candid introspection. What say you?
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Is Student Ministry Biblical? (Part Two)
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3 comments:
Please clarify what you mean by "biblical", homosexuality, rape, and idolatry are all mentioned in the Bible and that does not make them "biblical". Speaking in tongues is one of the signs that accompanies receiving the Holy Spirit in Acts, but should it be the "norm" for today? An exegetical decision needs to be made for every biblical passage whether the "biblical pattern" is descriptive or prescriptive.
So how many Biblical references does it take for something to be "biblical"? I say it depends.
Good question Richard. My intent is to determine if Student Ministry as it is practiced today follows a Biblical model. Would Jesus look at how we do student ministry and say well done thou good and faithful servant? My gut answer is no considering that 2/3rds of our students are graduating and leaving the church. But thats just one mans opinion.
Mike,
I agree with what you are saying, but I know I don't agree with Dr. Black. There is a need for student ministry. He would say there isn't one. Is it biblical? Of course. Deut. 6 and Eph. 6 are two passages that clearly state the need for students to be trained and mentored. Granted it is to be done in the home primarily, but the church is needed as well.
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